Hydraulic air-compressor



(No Model.)

W. R. PHILLIPS. HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR.

No. 452,283. Patented May 12,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

WILLIAM R. PHILLIPS, OF SEATTLE, \VASHINGTON.

' HYDRAULIC AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,283, dated May 12,1891.

Application filed August 26, 1889- Serial No. 322,028. (No model.)

, useful Improvements in Hydraulic Air-Oompressors, of which thefollowing is a specificatron, reference beinghad to the accompanyingdrawing.

The object of my invention is to produce an improved machine forcompressing air by means of water acting directly upon an inclosedvolume of air, and so arranged that the water, after it has performedits office, will be automatically discharged and the operation ofcompression automatically renewed, so that the work of the machine willbe practically continuous.

My machine is adapted to utilize the power of high Water falls, forinstance; butit may be used wherever a sufficient force of water can beobtained.

In the accompanying drawing is illustrated a central vertical section ofmy machine, showing portions of the working parts in elevation. JReferring to the letters on the drawing,B lndicates a lower chamber,which may be called the compression chamber, and above this is locatedan air-reservoir A of corresponding form, the two being preferably inthe shape of a single cylinder and separated by a central partition. Thecylinder may be made of metal and should be air-tight.

0 indicates a check-valve secured to the partition between thecompressiolrchamber and the reservoir, and C a valve-controlled openlngcommunicating with the outside air. The compression chamber 13communicates through the opening V in its lower end with thevalve-casing D, to which it is secured. WVithin this casing is locatedthe valve a, which is provided at its lower end (Z with apiston-bearing, which is fitted into the bottom of the casing D, so:that there is a perfect joint between the two. The head of the valve 1Salso provided with bearings, which cause it to move evenly up and downwithin the valveseat in the casing D. The head I) of the valve is madeof much greaterdiameter than the end d.

0 indicates an outlet-opening.

Z indicates supporting-legs for the chamber and reservoir.

E indicates a pipe adapted to supply water under pressure. Itcommunicates with the lower end of the interior of the valve-casing Dand discharges into the valve-casing F. The upperpart of thevalve-casing F is joined to the chamber B by means of the pipe G, whichestablishes communication between the interiors of those parts.

9 indicates a valve which is seated in the interior of the casing F. vIt is provided with a head h, adapted to shut off communication betweenthe pipes E and G, and has at its opposite end a piston-head which isclosely fitted into the interior of the casing F. This pistonhead is oflarger diameter than the valve-head h, and ispierced with an opening 2II indicates avalve-casing which is provided with a drain-passage m. Theinterior of this casing is supplied with a closly-litting pistonhead 7',that carries the valve Z.

J indicates a dischargevalve, and I a pipe.

that communicates with the bottom of the valve-casing F, and branchingat its other end discharges through one branch into the valvecasi'ng Hat its mouth 70 and communicates through its other branch with the valveJ.

Y indicates an upright support, to which at P is pivoted the arm K,which presses against the valve J.

0 indicates a weight secured to one end of the arm K, and adapted tohold the valve J closed by its pressure.

M indicates a tank secured to the other end of the arm K, and adaptedwhen filled with water to overcome the weight 0 and open the valve J.The interior of the chamber B is connected with the interior of the tankM by means of the flexible tube L, which enters the tank at the bottom,and the smaller flexible tube N, that enters it from the top.

R'indicates a valve-casing communicating with the interior of. thereservoir and provided with the outlet-openingn. It is fitted with thepiston-head 13, that carries the valve 1), which is adapted to close thedrain-passage n.

S indicates a valve corresponding to the valve J, which communicatesthrough the mouth 0 by means of the pipe Q with theinterior of thevalve-casing R.

To the top of the support Y ispivoted at l the arm l\", which isprovided in similar manner to the arm K with the weight 0 at one end andthe tank M at the other.

L and N indicate flexible tubes that connect the interior of thereservoir with the interior of the tank M.

\V indicates a connecting-rod pivoted at its lower end to the arm K andengaging at its upper end with the pawl T, which is pivoted to the axisof the arm K, with which it is in operative connection, and bears uponan arm extending at nearly right angles to it with the weight J. Bymeans of this arrangement the arm K is held stationary until the end )l'of the arm K is caused to drop, when the end l\[ of the arm K willsimultaneously descend.

X indicates a pipe for allowing egress of air from the reservoir A, andin practice is controlled by an air-valve, which, however, beingpreferably located at a distance from the reservoir, is not shown in thedrawings, especially as the valve may be of any wellknown andordinaryconstruction.

The operation of my maehineis as follows: Suppose the valves 9 and a tobe closed and the others open] and water under pressure to be introducedthrough the pipe E. Its tendency will be to raise the valve (1, but themain current and force of the water will pass into the interior of thevalve-casing F, and a portion of it will be forced through the openingbeneath the piston-head e of the valve g. Thereupon, by reason of awell-known law of transmission of force through liquids, the pressureupon the under side of the piston-head will be equalized with that uponthe top, but the area of the bottom subject to pressure is greater thanthe area of the top subject to pressure. Consequently the piston-headwill be lifted, the valve head It raised, and the valve g open for thepassage of water through the pipe G into theinterior of the chamber B,as illustrated. In passing .through the pipe G a portion of the waterwill seek an exit through the drain-passage m of the casing II; but itsdischarge will be prevented by the valve Z, because the initial pressureof the water will have been communicated through the pipe I against thepiston-hcadj of that valve, and this head being larger than the end ofthe valve opposed to the pressure of water in the pipe G will keep thevalve in the closed position. By this means the water from the pipe Gwill flow into the interior of the chamber 13. Passing through theopening V it will depress the valve a. by reason of the head Z) of thevalve being larger than its lower end (Z, which is also under pressurefrom the water. Thereupon the level of the water in the chamber B willbe gradually raised until it reaches the pipe L, when a portion of thewater will pass into the tank M, the air in the tank being driventhrough the pipe Ninto the chamber B above the water-line. As aboveexplained, when the tank M is full it will tend to depress its end ofthe arm K and open the valve J; butit is prevented from acting by theconnecting-rod \V communicating with the arm K ,by which itholds the armK stationary. As the airin the chamber B is compressed it is driven upthrough the checlevalvc G into the reservoir A, from which it isconducted by the pipe X away for use. Gradually the water will rise intothe reservoir A, driving the air before it. A portion of it will enterthe valvecasing R, and, passing through the opening in the piston-head1), will by means of the valve close the drain-passage. The water risingwill pass through the pipe L into the interior of the tank M, drivingthe air out into the reservoir A through the tube N in themanncrexplaincd with reference to the tank M. lVhen the tank M is full,the weight of it will depress its end of the arm K, whereupon the valveS will be open, the connecting-rod XV relieved, and the tank M on theend of the arm K allowed to descend. By this means the valve J is alsoopened. By the opening of the valves S and J the pressure behind thepiston-heads 1) respectively, will be diminished, so that thedrain-passages m and a, respectively, will be opened and the water fromboth the reservoir and the chamber will be partially drained away. Apartial vacuum will be produced in the chamber and a supply of air willrush in through the valvc-controlled opening C. Simultaneously with theopening of the valve J the pressure beneath the piston-head 6 will berelieved, the valve G closed by the pressure of the water in the pipe E,and the water-supply shut off. The water in the chamber B is lowereduntil the pressure of the weight of water upon the area of the head Z)of the valve a is less than the pressure exerted upon the lower end (Zof the valve, when the valve (twill be lifted and the water dischargedentirely from the chamber 13 through the outlet-opening c in thevalve-easing D. At the same time the mechanism will be relieved fromstrain that would be occasioned by a too sudden stoppage of the flow ofthe water under pressure in the pipe E by its passing out through theopening (Z. The machine should be so arranged that by the time the wateris discharged from the chamber B the tanks M and M will have emptiedthemselves. Thereupon the weights 0 and 0' will press down their ends ofthe arms K and K, respectively, and close the valves S and J. Then themechanism is in position to repeat the operation, as above described,and the work of the machine will proceed as before. The act ofdischarging and repeating its operation may be performed in acomparatively short space of time, so that the pressure of the airremaining in the reservoir A may not be entirely exhausted before a newsupply is forced in. This makes the machine practically continuous inits operation. The water in the reservoir is never all exhausted, sothat it may always close the outlet of the valve-casing R as soon as thetank M is emptied and prevent the escape of air.

In practice it is often desirable to employ a battery of compressorscomposed of a series of compression-chambers and reservoirs with valves(1, and in this arrangement it may be unnecessary to employ more thanone valvecasing F and its valve and one set of arms K and K and theirvalves S and J, which in that case, instead of being connected directlywith the valve-casings F, H, and B, would be connected with anintermediate valve and easing constructed like the casing R and itsvalve.

Where large air-inclosures are used it may be necessary to provideadditional means of drawing off the water. In that case I employ anumber of valve-casings D and their necessary parts and unite them allto a single set of valve-casings F and H, if desired.

What I claim is- 1. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the combination, witha compression-chamber and a supply-pipe having a drain-passage, of apiston-valve located in the supply-pipe, a similar valve located in thedrain-passage, a water-passage operatively connecting the valves, andmeans for opening and closing the waterpassage, whereby thecompression-chamber is adapted to be alternately filled and emptied ofwater, substantially as set forth.

2. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the combination, with thecompression-chamber, the valve-casin g D communicating therewith, thevalve a in said casing, and the valve casings F and H, both providedwith piston-valves, and the casing I-I, provided with a drain-passage,-of the pipe I, operatively connecting the valves in the casings F andH, and a gravityvalve J, connected with the pipe I, whereby Water issupplied to the compression-chamber as long as the valve J is closed andthe chamber is emptied by the opening of the valve J, substantially asset forth.

3. The combination, with a compressionchamber, of a supply-pipe anddrain-pipe, a valve in each of said pipes automatically acting byhydraulic pressure, a passage I between said valves, a valve J, adaptedto actuate said valve through said passage in the manner set forth, thepivotally-supported arm K, provided with a weight 0, adapted to keep thevalve J closed, and a tank N, communicating by means of flexible tubeswith the interior of the compression-chamber and adapted, by becomingfilled with water, to overcome the weight 0 and open the valve J, as andfor the purpose specified.

4:. The combination, with an air-reservoir and a compression-chamber, ofa supply-pipe communicating with the interior of the compression-chamberand provided with a valve g, acting automatically. by hydraulic pressure, of the drain-valve casin g H and its valve, a communicating passagebetween said valve, a valve J, joined to said passage, and a pivotallysupported arm K, provided with a weight for closing the valve J, thevalve-casing R, communicating with the interior of the air-reservoir andprovided with a valve, the valve S, operatively connected therewith, thepivotally-supported arm K and its weight 0, and a connectingpiecebetween the arms K and K, whereby the swinging of the arm K is dependentupon that of the arm K, substantially as set forth.

5. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the combination, with acompression-chamber, a supply-pipecommunicatingtherewith,andavalvelocated in the supply-pipe and adapted to regulate the supply of waterto the chamber, of the valve-casing D, communicating with thecompression-chamber and the supplypipe and provided with anoutlet-opening c, a valve a, provided with a head I), and apiston-bearing at its opposite end, said head being larger than theother end, whereby pressure of the water admitted into thecompression-chamber upon the head of the valve a will close the valvewhile the machine is in operation, and pressure upon the end cl willopen it when the chamber has been filled with water, substantially asset forth.

6. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the combination, with acompression-chamber and a water-supply pipe communicating therewith, ofthe valve-casing F, located within the pipe between the chamber and thesource of water-supply and provided with a valve g, that carries at oneend a piston-head 6 within the valve-casing, an openingt in saidpiston-head, a discharge-pipe I behind the piston-head, and means foropening and closing the same, said piston-head being larger than thevalvehead, whereby the valve may be operated through the water-supply,substantially as set forth.

7. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the combination, with acompression-chamber, of a supply-pipe communicating therewith andprovided with a valve for regulating the supply of water, thevalve-casing H, communicating with the supply of water and provided witha piston-headed valve Z and a dischargeopening an, the pipe I,connecting the supplypipe with the valve-casing behind the piston-head,the valve Z, and means for opening and closing the pipe I, whereby thevalvel may be opened and closed for the passage of water from thecompression-chamber, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM R. PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD G. CoLDEwEY, GEORGE E. MIoHELL.

